Blood, Sweat, and Tears
by Araneida
Summary: This is the story of a young man who was kicked around so much that he lost faith in humanity. This is the story of Kiyoshi 'Seaman' Mitarai.
1. Left Out & Alone

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho belongs to people much more talented than me.

"Kiyoshi, I'm very disappointed in you. You're such a _bright_ young man, but I'm afraid if you keep getting these grades I'm going to fail you."

"Kiyoshi, get your mama another beer from the fridge. Be quick about it, too, you've given me enough headaches today."

"Kiyoshi, you're stupid. What kind of dumbass would come up with _that_? "

"Kiyoshi, you're a waste of human life. Why would anyone love someone as pathetic as you are?"

Kiyoshi……………

Kiyoshi Mitarai ran into the park, trying to get away from all the mean words that clouded his thoughts. If he could only get away from his life……….outrun everything that troubled him, every beat of his heart, every second of his existence…………….

"Sensui-saaaaaaaannnnnnnn!"

Assoon as he called his name, Mitarai saw him, sitting at the small park gazebo, his long legs crossed. Relief flooded Mitarai. Sensui always seemed to know when he was in trouble, when he needed his help…………..And now that Sensui was there, everything would be OK. He always knew _exactly_ what to do.

"Sensui-san!"

Sensui motioned to the seat next to him, and Mitarai gladly took it.

"Don't you have a curfew?"

"I do, but my mom's going to yell at me anyway for my F in Science, I might as well get out of the house."

Mitarai sullenly crammed his hands into the pocket of his favorite yellow hoodie, the one that was too small for him, the one that his mom wanted to put through the incinerator as soon as possible. Sensui watched him, a sight smile on his lips.

"Made any interesting discoveries lately?"

Mitarai raised his head and stared in shock.

"How'd you-how'd you know?"

"I've always known you were _special_ Mitarai, but I recognized your change in attitude. You realize your potential now, as well."

"Sensui-san, I can do…….._things _with my _blood_……….." Mitarai's voice trembled with fear, as he showed Sensui his arms. Several scabbed-over cuts crisscrossed it. Sensui examined his arm, a kind of sadistic pleasure coming into his eyes, then turned his attention to Mitarai shock and fear filled face.

"What _kinds _of things?'

"W-well, I can make these………these……….monster-type things out of my blood and water. Sensui-san, it's _weird_!"

Sensui grabbed Mitarai's face and cradled it in his hands.

"No. Never weird. It makes you _special._ Not like those bumbling idiots who are so cruel to you."

He released Mitarai's face.

"I am special also."

"Really?"

"Yes. So this means you _do _belong somewhere. You belong with me."

Mitarai could hardly believe it. His eyes searched Sensui's for any sign of a joke.

Sensui smiled.

"And now, there's someone I'd like you to meet……….."

A/N: Okay, I realize that was short, but I'll have the second chapter up ASAP!

A warning for later chapters: There may be some yaoi in the form of Sensui/Itsuki or possibly Sensui/ Hagiri (Sniper). Maybe. There won't be any Mitarai/Sensui yaoi, though.

Read and review!


	2. Subtle Insanity

_"As well as the existence of this world-the world you and I live in-there exists _another_ world. The Makai-the world where demons rule."_

Mitarai sat on the edge of his bed, his knees drawn up to his chest. _No, _he thought. _No, this isn't happening ._

_"There is, however, a barrier between our world and their world. But you have power-"_

Mitarai clung desperately to his feet, remembering the insane look of excitement that had come into Sensui's eyes as he said that.

_"Enough power to help me take down that barrier."_

Even now, Mitarai still secretly thought this was impossible. Even if there _was _a such thing as this….Makai, the thought that Sensui was trying to take down the barrier between these two worlds seemed crazy. And even if _could_, why? Why take down the barrier? What purpose would it serve to let demons flood their world?

_"But I should _trust_ Sensui-san. He believes in me. He trusts me. He _loves _me. Surely he will know what's best for me. But…………can I trust the _other_ one?_

Mitarai thought of the green-haired male who Sensui had introduced to him as Itsuki.

_"This is Itsuki. He is not a man, but a demon."_

Mitarai doubted if Sensui could be manipulated. He just seemed so unshakeable……But if he could, this would be the man pulling the strings. Itsuki seemed nice, yes, but there was no question that he was intelligent. He could easily be pulling Sensui into a crazy plan, especially since Sensui seemed _very _close to the quiet demon.

He unfolded his knees from his chest and tried to think. If all this was true, and the barrier was opened allowing demons to seep through, what would happen that could benefit Sensui? From what he had heard about these demons, they were large, dangerous, and ate everything in their path...

_Everything in their path..._Mitarai's eyes widened.

_No...not possible..._

his dreams were uneasy that night. He stood in the middle of the street, watching helplessly as demons caught terrified people and ate them slowly, their faces contorted in pain. In the midst of all this, Sensui stood , drenched in blood, smiling.

_"See, Mitarai, this is much better. The Earth will no longer be polluted by filthy humans. The age of demons has come."_

Ad with a jolt, Mitarai woke up.

_"Ths is much better..."_

Of course, Sensui hadn't _actually_ said thse words. But Mitarai kept dwelling on them.

Was_ it better? Was the realm of humans _better _without humans?_

He frowned. _No, of course not. _All his common sense told him that humans should be kept around. And yet, in the back of his mind, a small voice reminded him how cruel humans werre to him, how he had seen that intolerable cruelty was practically second nature to humans.

"I'm not so sure anymore," He muttered to the darkness.

A/N: A short, completely _blah_ chapter. My muse is MIA. Oh well. With all luck, the next chapter will be better, because the rest of the Seven will be present in it.

Disclaimer: No, I really don't own YYH. Seriously.


	3. The Seven

"Change the channel, wouldya?"

Mitarai glared at Sniper, but when Sniper gave him a stare that clearly told him there was pain in his future if he didn't do the menial task, he meekly got up and pressed the channel button on the. He stopped clicking when Sniper grunted and motioned for him to halt, landing on some slasher movie. _Typical, _he thought.

Mitarai secretly wondered why Sensui had chosen Sniper to be a part of his team. _Group of friends_, Mitarai corrected himself automatically, feeding on his desire to be a part of such a thing. But he knew that this was no such thing. When the seven were together, they rarely talked to each other-except Sensui, who was their common bond-, and a few of them outright hated each other. Like Mitarai and Sniper.

He did not know Sniper's real name; he knew none of the real names, only their pseudonyms. Sniper. Doctor. Gourmet. Game Master. And himself, Seaman. Only Sensui had told them his real name, a Mitarai guessed that Itsuki was also a made-up name. _Do demons have names?_ he wondered.

It had been a wise move if Sensui's-that way, no one could chicken out and turn the others in. As if anyone could have the guts to; Mitarai had a feeling Sniper would shoot the person who _began_ to have thoughts of desertion

Sighing, he sank back in his tattered armchair. He had agreed to spend the afternoon in Sensui's dirty, small apartment only because he thought it would only be Sensui and him. They could talk. They hadn't had a face-to-face talk since Mitarai had shakily agreed to help him with the tunnel (he had been convinced it was entirely possible). And then the other five showed up.

Sniper. The dark haired teenage boy lay on hiside on a delipidated couch, lazily throwing darts at a small target on the wall and watching the gory made-for-tv movie at the same time. Mitarai had never liked him. He reminded him a little bit too much of the bullies at school. And that casual, yet slightly mean way he threw his weight around...Yet Sensuitrusted him. _I trust all people that Sensui-san trusts_ he reminded himself firmly. It was very important to him to have complete loyalty to Sensui, especially at _this _turning point.

Game Master. The boy sat on the floor, legs streched out, immersed in his Gameboy. Mitarai harbored no real feelings towards him. After all, he was only a child. Still too young, in Mitarai's eyes, to be held truly accountable for his actions. In fact, he often thought that the small brown-haired boy didn't _really _know what he was getting himself into.

Doctor. The tall man had draped himself rather elegantly across another of Sensui's armchairs, still wearing his long white coat. He was watching the tv set with fascination, his eyes flickering with an insane glee every time something especially bloody happened. Mitarai was appalled by the man; the way his eyes were bright with a crazy, malevolent light, the way he moved and talked, his disgusting thoughts and ideas. There was a fine line between genius and insanity-Sensui had proven that. But while Sensui was most definetely a genius, the Doctor was barking mad. He reminded Mitarai of a snake. Slithery, slippery, and unaturally cruel.

Gourmet. The large boy had settled on the couch right next to Sniper, eating a bag of chips and focusing intently on something written on a scrap of paper. Mitarai honestly didn't see why Sensui chose Gourmet. He seemed to be rather useless. He talked as sparsely as possible, and even when he did, it was nothing _intelligent._ Mitarai hadn't seen him demonstrate any greaat powers, either.

His thoughts abruptly came to a halt when Sensui chuckled behind them. He was staring at something on his laptop, and could not keep the amusement off his face.

"What?" Sniper drawled, obviously upset that he had been distracted from his darts.

"The new Reikai Tantei... Ah, Koenma, you certainly have intresting choices."

"Who is he?"the Doctor asked, watching Sensui out of the corner of his eye.

"Some little punk named Yusuke Urameshi. A virtual unknown in Reikai. Looks unpredictable, scruffy, and a definite thug...exactly the type you DON'T want to become a Tantei."

Sensui closed his laptop and folded his hands, looking at all of them with the amusement still evident in his face.

"I said I'd wait to put the plan in motion until I saw the Tantei that Koenma has chosen to replace me. Gentlemen, I do believe the wheels are now in motion."

A/N: Wow, I realize the chappie took a long time in coming. Oooops! I tried to make The Seven as in character as possible, but some of them might be a bit OOC. I hope you enjoyed it anyway. (Oh, and reviews make me happy)


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